Love Signs
by Alecto Perdita
Summary: With only two months to graduation, Jounouchi decides to make the best of the situation. Getting a Scorpio, especially Kaiba, to fall for him will prove to be a Herculean task. -JounouchixKaiba, & lime-
1. Beginning

Happy Valentines Day! First off, you will notice that this is a bit different from most of my other fics. It's not particularly plot-driven and definitely more lighter in tone. I hope you'll enjoy my first attempt at pure romance with the most minimal amount of angst and drama.

* * *

**Love Signs**  
By Alecto Perdita  
Part 1 of 2  
Rating: R  
Warning: Shonen-ai, Joukai, Jounouchi x Kaiba, lime  
Posted: Feburary 14, 2004  
Revised: Feburary 16, 2004  
Dedicated to Bunny  
Email: alecto . perdita (at) gmail . com

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.

* * *

_...  
Aquarius/Scorpio - Sexy but detached dreamer who loves mankind, variety, and freedom seeks paranoid fanatic who thinks love means tapping the phone line for peculiar affair, possible love. You'll smile despite yourself.  
..._

Jounouchi Katsuya threw his keys down on the table with a loud clang. The apartment was dark so he guessed his parents and sister weren't home yet. Jounouchi smiled as he thought about the last year. His parents had been in separation for years. When they had met again after Shizuka's operation, a bit of the old spark between them had resurfaced. His father had been inspired to clean himself up. Jounouchi had the feeling his father had used Jounouchi's time spent with Shizuka as an excuse to be with his mother. Jounouchi hadn't minded.

While it could not be said that there were no potholes in the road, his parents' relationship only progressively got better. The experience had been especially hard on his father. His father had taken to the bottle after his mother left. Oh, and contrary to popular belief, his father had never hit him, not once. It had been hard on his father and withdrawal, in particular, had been a killer. His father would also never be able to touch another glass of alcohol for the rest of his life in fear of a relapse. This was also troublesome for his mother, who was a chef.

The four of them had spent more time together, almost as if they had been a family again. When his father actually held a job for over two months, he rented a three-bedroom apartment in a better part of town and asked his mother and sister to move in with them again. His father was, surprisingly, a computer network security consultant; though Jounouchi was convinced it was just a professional name for hackers. And much to both his dismay and joy, his father was currently in the employment of Kaiba Corporations. The joy part being that Kaiba paid his employees extremely well.

"Tou-san? Okaa-san?"

He received no reply. He walked into the living room. He stared at the sight before him for a few seconds before diverting his gaze in mild disgust. "Geeze, I'd like to keep my lunch down, Tou-san, Okaa-san. Get a room the two of you."

Jounouchi Tanaka and Jounouchi Michi pulled away from each other. A light flush stained his mother's cheeks and Jounouchi had to admit it was quite befitting of her. He should have been used to this already. His parents had been extremely affectionate with one another ever since they got back together.

"How was school today, son?" Tanaka's gaze never left Michi and he continued to caress the back of her hand.

Jounouchi threw his hands over his eyes. "I'm going to my room, I can't take this lovey dovey stuff any longer."

He ran out of the room before his mother could throw that pillow from the couch at him. On the way to his room, the one furthest down the hallway, he knocked on Shizuka's bedroom door. "Shizuka? You home?"

He received no response once again. His sister had probably fallen asleep. She had been up all night talking to her boyfriend. Jounouchi almost growled at the thought. He did not like the thought of his little sister dating anyone, no matter at what age.

He twisted the doorknob and entered the room. He stared at the **occupants** of the room and they stared back at him. He snarled. He marched over to his sister's side and yanked the boy, whose lips were poised over his sister's, to his feet.

Shizuka smiled in a guilty manner. "Welcome home, Onii-chan..."

"Hey, Jounouchi." Honda Hiroto tried to grin at the pissed-off Jounouchi but failed miserably. "You're home early."

Just when Jounouchi was about to beat the shit out of his so-called best friend, he smelled something strange in the air. It was the smell of something burning… He threw down Honda and rushed to the kitchen, screaming, "Okaa-san! Whatever you're cooking is burning!"

Fifteen minutes, a fire extinguished, and the near possibility of a three-alarm fire later, Jounouchi had his family seated in the living room. Oh, and Honda as well. Jounouchi paced back and forth across the carpeting, alternating glares between different occupants of the room.

"That was so dumb. You could have burned down the whole freaking building. Even I know better than to leave something in the over for that long. You're a cook for god's sake, Okaa-san!"

Michi opened her mouth to say something and Jounouchi cut her off. "And I don't want to hear about your distractions."

Michi shut her mouth again.

"And another thing, what kind of parents are you? You don't even notice your daughter coming home with her boyfriend. Who knows what they could have been doing if I hadn't come in?"

"Honda-kun is your best friend! How could you say that? He would never do something like that." Shizuka protested.

"He's a guy and guys only want one thing."

"You're a guy too." Honda pointed out. He didn't seem particularly worried with Jounouchi's tirade.

Jounouchi's scowl deepened. "Shut up. I'm not done yet."

"You need to get laid, Onii-chan."

Jounouchi nearly had a heart attack hearing that sentence from his baby sister. Jounouchi had never looked so scandalized, or "god-damn-fucking-hilarious" as Honda would later insist, in his entire life.

_...  
You know how you shiver with fear at the idea of doing something extremely dangerous, but feel compelled to proceed? Falling for a Scorpio is just like that shudder of terrified excitement.  
..._

Jounouchi arrived at the classroom almost fifteen minutes before the first bell would ring. It was a record for him. He had driven to school so he was still running on a sort of natural high. He technically wasn't supposed to drive and he didn't even have a permit yet, but his father had insisted that he learn. His father had then taken the car to work.

He glanced around the room. Few people came to school at this time. Mazaki Anzu, Nosaki Miho, and another girl he couldn't remember the name of were huddled together in a corner. They burst into a fit of giggles before returning to whatever they were perusing.

Anzu gestured for him to join her. He was weary though. A group of giggling girls was rarely a good thing. "Jounouchi, come look at this."

Jounouchi deposited his book bag on his desk before joining them in the back of the room. He hoped it wasn't another magazine with pictures of celebrities for them to gush over. "What, Anzu?"

"What sign are you?"

Jounouchi blinked. "I'm flattered and all, Anzu, but aren't you dating Yugi?" He threw her one of his "dashing-handsome" grins.

She slapped him over the head. "Don't even joke about that." She suddenly blushed at the impromptu remainder of her first date with Yugi that Friday night. "Just tell us what sign you are."

Jounouchi ran a hand through his hair. "Aquarius, why?"

The girls immediately turned their backs to him and he listened to the rustling of pages. They were quiet for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. Jounouchi frowned. He didn't like being laughed at for any reason. "Do I want to know?"

Anzu turned to face him and showed him the book they have been studying so religiously. It was entitled **Love on a Rotten Day**. She cleared her throat and began reading. "Aquarius. Romantic style: possessed. Erogenous zone: shins and ankles wrapped in thin, silver chains attached to a diamond naval stud. Sexual quirk: irritating habit of jumping in and out of bed to adjust the video camera. Hmm...kinky." Anzu winked.

His face would have been called aloof if it hadn't been that damn spot of pink that stained his cheeks. "Your mothers would be appalled by what you're reading."

"I must say that it's a very enlightening picture of you, make inu."

The hairs on the back of Jounouchi's neck rose. Why hadn't he noticed the presence of the taller body towering over him? He fought to keep the blush that had already been on his cheek under control.

"Good morning, Kaiba-kun." Anzu smiled sweetly at the new arrival.

Kaiba Seto at least nodded in acknowledgment of Anzu's greeting. That was rare enough as it was. Jounouchi fought to keep his posture rigid. He would not give the other boy any indication of the effects his close presence had on Jounouchi. He refused to turn around and face Kaiba either. Things were hard enough with just his back facing the other boy.

"I always had the feeling you had a penchant for kink. Who knew you liked to be dominated too?"

Jounouchi clenched his feet. He would not turn around. He would not give Kaiba the satisfaction. He would not make things harder for himself than they already were.

"Nothing to say, inu?"

Jounouchi could feel Kaiba's breath tickling his neck and ear. He barely concealed the shiver that ran down his spine. Kaiba was too close for comfort. He feared he would just lose control and turn around and kiss the life out of the tall brown-haired boy.

"Hmm…admirable restraint today."

And then the overwhelming presence of Kaiba was gone, moving to somewhere across the room.

The girls exchanged "looks" with each other. It was then that Jounouchi remembered these were the three biggest yaoi fangirls in the school. They had also been the first ones he came out of the closet too after they caught him staring at Otogi, though that was old news now. They were too damn perceptive for his good.

The last girl of the group, Kawaba Midori, had the guts to shout across the room to Kaiba. "What's your astrological sign, Kaiba-kun?"

Kaiba looked up from the book he had started to read upon settling in his seat. He shot an annoyed glare at Midori, but she appeared unfazed. Few people could do that. It was almost admirable. Kaiba appeared to consider whether to answer or not. "Scorpio." He finally said before turning away.

Jounouchi released the breath he didn't know he had been holding until then. Anzu grabbed the lapel of his jacket and pulled him into their circle. They frantically flipped through the book until they found the section for Scorpio, the section labeled "Scoring." They shoved the book toward him and he accepted it reluctantly.

Apparently it was a section meant to score the compatibility of different signs. There, he found Aquarius next to the label of "The Dark Horse."

Jounouchi stared at them blankly. "The dark horse?"

The three of them shushed him before not so subtly glancing back at Kaiba. Midori leaned in closely and smiled slyly. "It means it's a relationship worth investigating." She winked at him.

Jounouchi stuttered for a few moments. "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

"Don't deny it, Jounouchi." Anzu had one of her "evil-diabolical-plan" glint in her eyes. She was always goddamn scary when she was like that. "You know exactly what we're talking about. Need any help?"

Jounouchi slammed the book down on the desk. "I think you guys are the one that need help. Maybe you should read the section on Gemini, Anzu. I think you'll find that section interesting. Yugi's not as innocent as he looks."

He then walked away from the beet red Anzu and the other two that were laughing hysterically at her expense. Jounouchi would have sworn Kaiba was watching him out of the corner of his eyes. Worth investigating, huh? He recalled that his sister also had a copy of this book somewhere. Maybe he'd borrow it when he got home.

_...  
Scorpio, the eighth sign of the zodiac, lives in the House of Death, Sex, and Other People's Possessions. Conventional astrology describes Scorpio as an intense, mysterious, sensual creature blessed with the gift of regeneration, like Phoenix rising from its ashes. Make that Dracula rising from the coffin. Rotten Scorpios are obsessed, stealthy, corporal control freaks who replenish their egos at everyone else's expense.  
..._

"Sounds suspiciously like someone I know."

Kaiba looked up from his typing to glance at his little brother sprawled across the carpeted floor of his office. He turned his attention back to the computer screen. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Maybe I should repeat the last sentence again. 'Rotten Scorpios are obsessed, stealthy-'"

Kaiba cut the teen off. "I heard you the first time."

Kaiba Mokuba rose to his feet and made his way over to his desk. Mokuba had grown the last two years and had entered the, much dreaded by Kaiba, teenage years. His raven black hair was still long and he now tied it up in a ponytail. The brothers had gotten into numerous arguments about Mokuba's hair and finally reached the compromise that it would not go pass the shoulder blades.

Kaiba was glad for one thing. His brother was a normal teenage with a healthy, overactive social life. Kaiba had to wonder many times if kids had grown that quickly when he was younger. His brother also had one too many unsuccessful attempts at wooing one Rebecca Hopkins whenever she came to Japan to visit her "darling." Kaiba had the opinion that Kaibas should always succeed at whatever they tried, even if it was as frivolous as trying to win a girl's heart.

"Don't tell me that the book doesn't have you down to a nutshell."

"I thought you would have a higher opinion of me, Mokuba. I'm hurt." Kaiba also found that he very much liked to banter with his now older sibling.

"Maybe when I was ten. I'm a teenager now, Nii-sama. I'm supposed to be all cynical and pessimistic about human nature. And I'm supposed to hate the older brother who grounds me and keeps me from going out with my friends." Mokuba sat down on top of his worktable and leaned back to glance at what he was working on.

Kaiba didn't look up from the spreadsheet onscreen. "I do neither of those things. You haven't been grounded since you were eight. Now leave me alone. I have to 'replenish my ego at others' expenses,' as you so gently put it."

Mokuba placed the book he had been reading out of down on the desk. Kaiba snuck a peek at the titled: **Born on a Rotten Day**. He remembered that many of his female classmates had been carrying this book and a similar book around lately. If he recalled it correctly, Mazaki and her groupies had one or the other that day they started snickering at him. Not to mention, his glare seemed to have lost its potency on them.

"You always work." Mokuba whined, sounding reminiscent of when he was younger and wanted to spend time with Kaiba. "Don't you ever get a break?"

Kaiba merely grunted in reply.

"You need to get laid, Nii-sama."

Kaiba's fingers came to a sudden halt as the silence invaded the room. He glared at his younger brother. "What happened to my innocent little brother?" He demanded.

Mokuba smirked. "Oh, him? He grew up, learned that the world wasn't all just sugar and spice, realized that his older brother was a demented jerk no matter how nice he was as a sibling, and discovered the wonders of girls, cable TV, and hentai." When Kaiba pinned a look of death on him, Mokuba quickly corrected himself. "Of course, I was just kidding about the last part, though Jounouchi and Honda do have quite a collection. Oh, and Anzu's really into yaoi. You would have no idea just by looking at her."

Kaiba turned back to the screen. "I forbid you from ever seeing them again."

Mokuba laughed. "You just proved my earlier point!"

_...  
Scorpios have perfected the blank stare. Yell, cry, accuse, or threaten, and your Scorpion will stare at you as if you were a total stranger speaking a foreign language. Don't confuse this with a blank look from a Taurus, Scorpio's opposite sign. Taurus is obtuse. Scorpio is devious.  
..._

Jounouchi's feet were dragging as he entered the school. It was only two months before their graduation from high school and the senior class was thinking of anything and everything except for schoolwork. It was very disheartening to see all your friends find love all around you.

His parents were finally living "happily-ever-after." Both Yugi and his other self were involved with Anzu. Jounouchi would have thought that jealousy would be involved in that equation somewhere, but it was not. It really wasn't bigamy since Yugi and his other self were the same person. It had something to do with a time paradox which they had been caught in the other Bakura's memory world. He just got a headache each time someone tried to explain it to him. (1)

Honda was all too happily dating his sister. Otogi had just hooked up with Miho of all people. No one expected this to last very long. Otogi went through more girlfriends and boyfriends in a month than most people in a lifetime. Miho didn't seem like the type that settled down either. Yet their flippant attitudes strangely complemented each other. Even Bakura had an ongoing long distance relationship going with Malik, and Isis and Rishid were due to get married in August. And here he was, lusting after the most unattainable man in all of Domino, if not Japan.

Life just wasn't fair.

Jounouchi sighed as he stared at the closed door that led to his classroom. He stood there for a few more moment, lost in his thoughts. Laughter drifted from beyond the door. He reached slowly for the handle to slide open the door. As he rested his hand on the handle, another pale hand covered his own. Jounouchi jumped back in surprise and connected with a very solid body.

He let out a yelp and the hands steadied him. Jounouchi froze. As sad as it sounded, he knew those hands. He had spent too long sparring with them. Those hands fell away from his arms and Jounouchi felt a sudden loss.

"Move, inu. I don't have all day."

Jounouchi twirled around and prepared for the first fight of yet another day. His heart nearly stopped at the sight before him. Kaiba's hair was tousled and wet from what must have been a recent shower. The top few buttons of his uniform were unbuttoned to reveal a pale slim throat. Jounouchi became all too conscious of who was standing before him. He licked his lips. Kaiba must have noticed he was staring because he reached up and buttoned his collar.

Jounouchi slapped on an apathetic expression. "You look like something the cat just dragged in."

Kaiba glared at him and ran a hand through his hair. Jounouchi watched in fascination as rivulets of water down the side of his face before vanished into his collar. "You're one to talk."

When Jounouchi gave Kaiba a blank look of not understanding, Kaiba reached across the distance. Jounouchi almost broke into a sweat when Kaiba brushed the pad of his digits over the area under his eyes. "You have bags the size of a yen coin."

Jounouchi smacked Kaiba's hand way for the sake of normalcy. "I haven't been sleeping well lately, okay?"

"The inu can't sleep without his master?" He sneered.

Kaiba had given him a wide opening. His mind screamed at him to take it and run with it. Jounouchi closed the distance between them and laid a hand on Kaiba's shoulder. Before the other boy could stop him, he threaded his fingers through those wet locks, with heavy lidden eyes filled with desire, Jounouchi flanked up at the taller boy. "Are you offering, Kaiba? I might just take you up on it."

The little color in Kaiba's face drained away. His mouth flapped open and close without a sound. No matter how serious Jounouchi was about what he said, he found Kaiba's shock was priceless and hilarious. He tried desperately to smother his laughter but peals of it still eluded his restraint. An angry red flush swept across Kaiba's pallid features.

A yelp barely left his lips when Kaiba yanked Jounouchi's hand off his shoulder and twisted it back. "I will kill you the next time you try to pull a play like that."

Jounouchi stared up at Kaiba, studying the fine features closely. The red flush from before had vanished without a trace. The expression was closed off to him again. Even now when he was angry, Kaiba's face was blank. He felt the stone wall for cracks but found none. He would have to bring it down with a sledge hammer.

Kaiba applied more pressure. "Do you understand?"

Jounouchi nodded. His wrist was beginning to hurt like hell. Blank stare meant Kaiba had something to hide. Kaiba released his hand and pushed past Jounouchi. Jounouchi managed to brush his hand against Kaiba's. The other boy stopped for a second before sliding open the door and slamming it behind him.

Jounouchi smiled as he into the classroom. He had a goal now. He would seduce Kaiba Seto before these last two months were up. Perhaps Kaiba had also felt that same electric thrill.

_...  
With Scorpio, flattery and some black underwear will get you laid. Getting one to fall for you isn't quite as easy.  
..._

Seducing Kaiba Seto was a task easier said than done- much easier said than done. Jounouchi would have sworn the young man had ice water flowing through his veins had it not been for the intense stares he sometimes caught Kaiba in the midst of. Over the last week or so, Jounouchi had been dropping subtle and not-so-subtle hints.

His friends had instantly noticed the change in his behavior toward Kaiba. Yugi had simply told him to be careful and Honda avoided the subject as whole. Anzu had taken too much interest in his "love life." Bakura offered an ear for listening and Otogi simply kept smirking at him.

As the year moved to warmer weather, gym classes moved outdoors for swimming, track, and soccer. While most guys were ogling girls in their bloomers (2), Jounouchi was thanking whatever deity there was that the school had forced Kaiba to take gym this last year. Kaiba had always found an excuse to skip gym, but the school required him to take it this year if he wanted to graduate.

It was a lovely Friday afternoon, bright, sunny, birds singing, the whole load. Their class had retreated into the locker room to change for the first swim gym of the season. By yet another stroke of luck courtesy of the close proximity of their last names, Jounouchi's locker was only a few feet away from Kaiba's. Locker rooms were always noisy but this was particularly true for males. Groups of boys wandered into locker room in groups, laughing and talking. Jounouchi was already waiting at his locker for his prey.

Jounouchi turned the dial of his lock carefully… 1…19…31… He fidgeted. Where was Kaiba? Most of his classmate had already gone out to the pool. He slipped out of his sneakers and placed them in the locker. If Kaiba wasn't going to come, then Jounouchi wasn't going to wait for him. He stuffed his uniform jacket into the locker. He pulled the t-shirt he was wearing underneath. With Honda and Otogi together in a swimming class, there was bound to be a water fight or someone pulled into the pool. No point in getting the shirt he would have to wear all day wet. He pulled on another t-shirt from his locker and then began to work on his pants.

His spare change jingled in his pockets when he shoved his pants in his locker. The locker room was empty now except for him. He was the last one. He sighed. Jounouchi had wanted to see Kaiba in nothing but swim trunks. He found himself obsessed with the CEO in various states of undress since seeing that pale neck. He fished into the locker for his navy blue trunks. He froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. They stopped just a few feet away from him.

"What are you doing here?"

Jounouchi smothered the grin that threatened to break across the surface of his face. "Just changing." He replied in a nonchalant manner. He peeked at Kaiba out the corner of his eyes. Kaiba was dressed in his impeccable uniform as usual. Kaiba was also staring at his black silk boxers.

"Find something interesting?"

Kaiba's gaze flew up to meet Jounouchi's gaze, though it seemed to Jounouchi that Kaiba had to fight to keep from letting his gaze drift downwards. Jounouchi was staring into a blank wall again.

Jounouchi continued. "You should change too, Kaiba. Hakasei-sensei's going to be mad." He reached down and began to pull his boxers down ever so slowly.

Kaiba turned away from Jounouchi abruptly and marched away. Jounouchi waited, only to hear the door to the locker room slam. Kaiba never showed up for gym that day and Jounouchi never got to see the other boy in swim trunks. Kaiba came in with a medical excuse the next day. Looks like Kaiba wouldn't have to take gym this last year too...

_...  
Deliberately awaken this man's green-eyed monster, and you better have a shovel handy. You are going to need it to either defend yourself or dig your own grave.  
..._

Jounouchi sighed. Kaiba had been avoiding him all week. At least this proved he had rattled the brunette's cage somewhat… His steady progress had come to a sudden halt. He had no idea what to do or where to go from here.

Honda leaned against Jounouchi's desk while chewing on an apple. "Shouldn't you be mooning after Kaiba right now?" Honda had finally found away to deal with Jounouchi's pursuit, by teasing him.

"I don't moon, Honda. Besides, I can't find him anyways."

"You definitely got his attention. Why don't you back off a bit? Give him a cooling off period."

"What?" Jounouchi gave his friend a strange look.

Honda threw his hands in the air. "You're the one hanging all over him and you don't even notice when he's staring a hole through your head in class."

Jounouchi gave Honda a semi-blank look and sighed. He rested his head on his folded arms. "I don't know."

"Look at this way, back off a bit to give the guy some time to think. I know he's not as anal retentive as he used to be, but that still doesn't mean he's not like a cold fish. Hell, I'd be pretty shocked if you started hitting on me all of a sudden."

Jounouchi looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Anal retentive? Pretty big vocabulary for you, Honda."

"Shizuka-chan, okay?" Honda threw a glare at his best friend.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "I don't even think you're using it in the right way."

Jounouchi watched as Honda shoved aside his annoyance for old time's sake. Honda bent over and slung an arm around Jounouchi's shoulder. "So what do you say about Otogi's party this Friday?"

Jounouchi made a face. Otogi was throwing a huge party in honor of Miho's birthday. Of course, it was a free admission party, meaning half of the school would be there. Miho hadn't minded. She thrived in that type of social setting. "I don't know."

Honda nudged him. "Come on, it'll be fun. We're almost done with school, we should be able to have some fun. Yugi, Anzu, and Shizuka-chan are already going. It wouldn't be the same without you,"

"Even better," Jounouchi snorted. "I get to be a third wheel to you guys. No thanks."

"Ah, come on. I'm sure you can find a date if you wanted to. You might even be able to meet someone at the party." It was then that Jounouchi finally noticed Honda had been gesturing toward Kaiba with very subtle turns of his head.

Jounouchi wondered when Kaiba had entered the room. Probably not long before Honda had started talking about Otogi's party. Honda was really a good friend. Glancing at Kaiba out of the corner of his eyes, Jounouchi would have thought the other boy was unfazed by their conversation. If only the book Kaiba had so hastily pulled out of his bag and pretended to be so engrossed in wasn't upside down.

Jounouchi turned back to his friend. Honda's eyes gleamed with mischief and an expression that said "you-owe-me-big-time." A board grin crept across Jounouchi's lips. "Sure, sounds like fun."

Honda straightened up and slapped Jounouchi's back. "It's a **date** then."

Kaiba actually appeared to have winced at Honda's choice of word.

_...To Be Continued in the Next Part..._

* * *

(1) I have this theory about Yami and Yugi being really the same exact soul. The reason there are two of these same souls is because of a time paradox and displacement from the time-space continuum. I won't elaborate on it here since it's not essential to this story.

(2) Some of the gym uniform for Japanese school girls are extremely revealing as high schoolers. The best example would be Kagome's gym uniform from the **Inuyasha** manga.

The books mentioned, **Born on a Rotten Day** and **Love on a Rotten Day**, are written by Hazel Dixon-Cooper. All quotes from in between the scenes were taken from either book.

* * *

This fic is dedicated to Bunny! Not only did she buy the books that inspired this fic, she also beta'ed for me!

As you notice, I like to try out different family situations for characters in different fic. Here, I actually had Jounouchi's parents get back together. Reasoning? Wanted to put Jounouchi in an environment where he was surrounded by people so in love with each other. Plus, I don't really think this has ever been done before.

I will have the second half up by tomorrow. I wanted to post at least the first half today. So sorry if I can't finish it today.

All reviews are appreciated. chocolate given as prop Thank you ahead of time.


	2. End

W00t! Got it done. As long as I post before midnight, I'm technically on time! Hope you enjoy the second half! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. And I apologize ahead of time for all OOC'ness.

* * *

**Love Signs**  
By Alecto Perdita  
Part 2 of 2  
Rating: R  
Warning: Shonen-ai, Joukai, Jounouchi x Kaiba, lime  
Posted: Feburary 15, 2004  
Revised: Feburary 16, 2004  
Dedicated to Bunny  
Email: alecto . perdita (at) gmail . com

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.

* * *

_...  
Scorpions love a mystery ("Why aren't you falling at my feet?") and a challenge ("I'll show you who's the master/mistress"). Act aloof, but not flip, and be excruciatingly slow to reveal details about yourself, and Scorpio will begin to take the bait. Keep the conversation free of sexual innuendo, but look so hot you could melt a Capricorn.  
..._

The party was crowded, loud, obnoxious, and hot, all of which Kaiba hated with a passion. If he had been Otogi's neighbor, he would have called the police the second he saw the swarm of teenage locust at Otogi's door. But of course, Otogi was rich, not as rich as Kaiba, but rich enough to have a big enough house to host the most extravagant gathering of teenage hormones Domino had ever seen.

Kaiba wasn't sure why he was here again. This party was the only thing most of the seniors at Domino High could talk about the past few weeks, including Jounouchi. The blond boy had also been ignoring him the last week the same way Kaiba had done so earlier. Jounouchi simply acted as if he didn't exist. Then that Nosaki girl had approached him with an invitation. Not an invitation per say, since it was a free-for-all, but verbal nudge in her favor.

He might have been there because of Jounouchi. He would never admit it to himself or anyone else. He'd swallow his own tongue and die first. So instead, he was lounging in his dark corner, watching his peers have a good time and kill brain cells at once. Kaiba had to wonder what lapse in judgment the Diet (1) had, or what drug(s) they were on, when they passed no legislature to enforce the age limit (2). Even Americans were sensible enough to do so and Americans were almost never sensible in Kaiba's opinion.

He had already been approached by Yugi, Mazaki, Otogi, that ape Honda, and Nosaki. Jounouchi had been nowhere in sight for the last few hours or so and Kaiba was beginning to tire. He had nowhere else to go really. Mokuba had gone to see a movie with his friends. He no longer had as much work as he used to. Kaiba Corporations was no longer a fledgling company in a new market. He had more than enough time to take a break, as his overly motherly secretary insisted most of the time.

He moved toward the food table for a drink. He would probably get a better view of things there also. Either luck was with him or not, Kaiba found Jounouchi loitering there with Yugi. Kaiba did a double take. No, it was the other Yugi. He was staring at the drinks suspiciously. Kaiba had already seen Yugi down a few cups of the questionable liquid hours ago.

"Come on, Yugi. Give it a try. It's not like you never had a beer before." The blond shoved a cup to the spirit manifested in flesh.

"I don't know, Jounouchi-kun. This isn't beer." The shorter boy continued to glare at the cup as if it would start talking and answer his questions.

Jounouchi threw his head back and gulped down another cup. "Yep, it's a hell of a lot better than beer."

Kaiba had long discarded his trench coat because of the heat. He was still dressed in a relatively conservative black shirt and slacks. Jounouchi, on the other hand, had come dressed for the occasion. His tight t-shirt, though the sleeves were so short it could be considered a sleeveless, was torn very slightly and strategically on the left side of his chest to show a hint of a dusty nipple. His low hip-hugging jeans were frayed and worn. Jounouchi was sweat-glazed from either the heat or the dancing. Kaiba tried not to stare but was failing desperately. How could he look away when Jounouchi looked so…hot, for lack of a better word.

Crimson eyes flicked over to him. A slow smirk spread across the other Yugi's lips, one that Kaiba was all too familiar with, though there was something much more feral about it. "Hello, Kaiba. I never thought I'd see you in a place like this."

Jounouchi twirled around. His face was flushed from the alcohol he had consumed. He wasn't drunk but he certainly looked tipsy. "Hey, Kaiba."

Before Kaiba had a chance to reply, Kawaba barged in and dragged Jounouchi away, babbling about "this hot guy you just have to meet" from St. Valentine Private Academy. The other Yugi had thrown Kaiba another "look" before wandering off to find his and Yugi's girlfriend.

Kaiba stared at some of his peers dancing to a collection of techno and rock in the middle of Otogi's den for a few seconds. He growled under his breath and set out to find Jounouchi once again. He still could not believe he was here, much less seeking out the blonde…

_...  
Scorpio…  
Romantic Style: Sarcastic head case.  
Favorite Pickup Line: "Hi."  
..._

Midori was right, Shinobu Masahi was hot. Uber hot as Midori put it. He was two or three inches taller than Jounouchi with a strong and broad build. He also played American football. He was the epitome of the type labeled "tall, dark, and dangerous." He was fun though. He knew how to laugh, joke, and flirt. He wasn't like a cold fish like someone else. Yet Jounouchi felt no spark…no connection.

Masahi leaned in over Jounouchi. Jounouchi wrinkled his nose at the reeking scent of alcohol. Masahi was also drunk off his ass, or at least near it. Drunkenness was a definite turnoff for Jounouchi. While Jounouchi liked a few drinks in a while, his father's alcoholism had put him off to serious drinkers.

"Want to dance?"

Jounouchi nearly gagged at the reek but plastered on a silly grin. It was impolite to leave someone you had just been introduced to without spending a half an hour with him/her. Or at least, he wasn't sure what Midori would do to him if he ditched Masahi. "Sure."

Masahi led him out onto the crowded dance floor. Midori threw him a thumbs-up from where she was lounging by the DJ's table. The beat of the song picked up and made a smooth transition to the next, one that sounded suspiciously like trance. Jounouchi rolled his eyes. Midori knew he loved fast beat songs like these.

Masahi swayed slightly on his feet as he tried to keep up with the rhythm of the song. Jounouchi smothered his laughter at the awkward dancing of the bulkier boy. He was at home here on the dance floor. Clubbing was a favorite pastime he enjoyed with Anzu. He closed his eyes and threw himself into the beat of the music.

Jounouchi never understood some people's need to take drugs. You could get perfectly "high" after about hour of dancing, followed by the good kind of exhaustion. The world pulsed around him in a maddening way. Otogi did know how to throw one hell of a party.

Masahi grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. It only lasted a second before they toppled to the ground. Masahi had passed out. Jounouchi sat up and blew the bangs out of his eyes. That certainly had not been what he had in mind. Masahi's buddies stumbled onto the dance floor and hefted the body up. With a quick apology to Jounouchi, the uncoordinated group left the floor and the party.

Jounouchi threw Midori a look that said "what now?" Midori simply shrugged. Jounouchi shook his head in disappointment and left the floor as well. It was getting too hot anyway. He placed himself down on a couch to the side. He threw his head back against the couch and closed his eyes.

The next thing he knew, he felt something cool against his forehead. He opened his eyes to see a pale hand carefully balancing a cup on his forehead. He reached up and gripped both the cup and the hand and moved it away. He was now looking into the frigid eyes of Kaiba. He raised an eyebrow.

"Water." The other boy grunted simply.

Jounouchi drew the cup to his lips, never letting go of the Kaiba's hand around it. Kaiba was forced to comply with his movement, leaning over until his chin was resting on top of Jounouchi's hair. He took a few sips and savored the cool feeling on his tongue. Most of all, he savored the feeling of Kaiba's body draped over his.

"Thank you."

Jounouchi released Kaiba and waited for the older boy to pull away as quickly as he could. Kaiba stayed there for a few moments, arm draped over Jounouchi's shoulder and around his neck. He moved away but slowly, almost as if he didn't want to. Jounouchi smirked.

He patted the seat next to him and smiled at Kaiba. "Sit?"

Kaiba stared at the spot for a while before sitting. Even in a heated environment such as this, Kaiba still radiated a kind of coolness. Jounouchi itched to feel it. He waited for inevitable scathing comment but it never came. Maybe they could finally have a civilized conversation for once.

"So what are you doing here, Kaiba? I never knew this was your kind of scene."

The other boy frowned deeply. "Nosaki was…very insistent."

Jounouchi smirked. "That's hardly an excuse. You could just pin one of those patent death glares on someone and they'd be running for the hills before the conversation even begins."

The frown deepened further, if that was even possible. "They don't seem to working quite as well as they used to."

"Maybe you should practice more than. Either that or people have finally started to develop an immunity to them. You know, sort of like bacteria and penicillin."

Kaiba tossed him a strange expression. "Glad to know I'm likened to bacterial infection."

Jounouchi burst out into laughter. "What do you expect? We're sitting here, discussing your death glare for god's sake. At a party where we should be dancing, getting drunk, or making out."

Kaiba leaned in until his face was just centimeters away. He rested a hand on the arm of the couch next to Jounouchi, trapping him. "Since the first two are out of the question for me, I guess you'll have to settle for option number three."

Jounouchi's breath was caught in his throat. Did…did Kaiba just respond to his advances? Hell, he hadn't even meant it in that way! His mouth opened and closed uselessly. His voice was stuck there right with his breath.

Kaiba didn't wait for an answer and closed the distance between their lips. Jounouchi froze as he felt those cool appendages against his own. A spark… He felt that spark… Kaiba's tongue brushed tentatively at his lower lip. Jounouchi moaned and grabbed a fistful of Kaiba's shirt and pulled him closer. Kaiba didn't complain as he plunged his tongue into Jounouchi's mouth.

Jounouchi's head swam. God, that astrology book was right! Kaiba may have an emotional scale of zero but sexually… This was something he could really get used to. He planted a hand on Kaiba's shoulder and weaved the other into those chestnut locks. One of Kaiba's hands was braced against the arm of the couch to hold himself up while the other found his nipple through that tear in his t-shirt.

Jounouchi gasped. Blood had long left his brain in favor of another place down south. Something equally hard and delicious dug into his side. Jounouchi pulled away. His chest heaved to catch his breath. His face was more flushed than ever. Kaiba watched him with that inscrutable expression again. No! He was so close.

Jounouchi brushed his lips tenderly against Kaiba's. Never moving away, he breathed, "So...your place or mine?"

_...  
Scorpios are also fanatical about trust. A Scorpio will dump you faster than an Aquarius rushing to a UFO sighting if he or she even thinks you've discussed any intimate aspect of your relationship with family, friends, or the psychic hotline.  
..._

Sunlight crept through the crack between the curtains. The light fingers crept up the black sheets to caress the bare shoulders of a golden-haired boy. A slight breeze played with the curtains, allowing more rays to steal into the dark-hued room.

Jounouchi cracked an eye open to stare at the door of the bedroom. He snuggled into the pillow, well aware of the arm draped around his waist and the body against his back. At the risk of being romantic, and Jounouchi was never romantic, he breathed in the scent that was distinctly Kaiba. One of vanilla, of all things.

He sat up in the bed, careful not to awaken the person next to him. As much as he enjoyed last night, Jounouchi just wasn't ready to deal with what Kaiba would have to pull this morning afterwards. When he came in last night, he hadn't had a chance to examine the room carefully. He had been too busy trying to work that darn belt around Kaiba's waist.

The room was large, the size of his and Shizuka's room combined. Yet it was only sparsely furnished. There was a desk to the corner by the French window with a computer. There was what appeared to be a walk-in closet on the other side of the room. Another wall was covered entirely in books. Several paintings hung on the walls. The four poster bed was naturally Jounouchi's favorite.

He smiled despite himself. It was true that he had succeeded in his goal but it felt like there was more to be done. Jounouchi didn't know anymore. He didn't know if he ever knew from the start. Had he only meant for this to be a one-night stand? Or something more? Jounouchi wanted to get to know Kaiba better. He wanted the chance to get to know the other boy the way no one had and he doubted anyone had so far.

He looked back at the still sleeping Kaiba. Kaiba looked…softer… Jounouchi guessed you couldn't wear that kind of expression 24-7, even if you were Kaiba Seto. He reached down to touch that soft hair. Running a hand through the locks, Jounouchi wore a content smile. He certainly hadn't felt this content in a long time, not even when his parents got back together.

The dark horse… A relationship worth investigating, worth pursuing… Maybe there was a possibility of something more…

A vice grip closed around his wrist, holding him in place. Jounouchi almost laughed. Expected typical Kaiba reaction. He leaned in for a kiss. "Good morning." The lips were unresponsive.

Kaiba pulled away and rolled out of bed. He wouldn't even look at Jounouchi again. He simply untangled himself from the bed sheets and made his way over to the walk-in closet. Jounouchi watched the sunlight play across the flawless pale skin. His eyes drifted down to that tight ass. He was quite disappointed when Kaiba pulled on a pair of boxers and pajamas top.

Jounouchi propped himself up on his elbow and continued to stare at brooding back of his new…lover? "Come on, Kaiba. Don't give me the cold shoulder."

Kaiba twirled around. His face was once again blank of all expression. Jounouchi had come to hate that blank stare more than any sneer or glare. It meant that Kaiba had something to hide but wouldn't relinquish it without a fight to the death. Kaiba walked over to Jounouchi's side of the bed. He picked up Jounouchi's clothes from the night before and threw them at him.

"Get dressed and get out."

Jounouchi stared at Kaiba in shock. "You're kicking me out?"

"You heard me the first time."

Jounouchi threw the sheets off and marched up to Kaiba. He didn't care if he was as naked as the day he was born. This was not the time to be shy. He grabbed Kaiba's face and pulled his lips down to his own. Kaiba stood still, like a statue. Jounouchi pulled away and examined that face again. Nothing…

"You think you can just kick me out like that? What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm not a fucking one night stand. I'm not something you can use and just throw away when you're done."

"What about you? What were you thinking when you first started this whole charade?"

Jounouchi couldn't answer him. He didn't have an answer to give.

"What? Nothing to say?"

"Why can't you just accept things as they come? Sometimes things just happen because they happen. Can't we-"

Kaiba cut him off and turned away. "I've heard enough."

Jounouchi waited and waited but there was nothing more to be said. "Fine!" Jounouchi quickly and messily dressed. He slammed the door behind him. Whatever could have been had been shot down even before it had a chance.

_...  
A Scorpion thinks that once he or she has screwed you, you belong to him or her forever. Of course, screwing you over counts, too, because you captured his or her attention that long.  
..._

Jounouchi stumbled over his own two feet when he felt a sudden force slam into his back. He turned around and glared at the offender. Kaiba looked down at him in an impassive manner. Kaiba didn't even apologize. He simply stepped around Jounouchi and right on Jounouchi's book bag that he had dropped.

Jounouchi glared at Kaiba's retreating back. If possible, Kaiba had become even more of an ass ever since they screwed each other. The other boy had found all sorts of way to harass him in the last week. Jounouchi had all kinds of bruises from the last week or so, courtesy of Kaiba's good will.

"He's still beating up on you?"

Jounouchi bent down and picked up his book bag. He sighed and finally turned around to face Otogi. "What do you want?"

Otogi smirked and twirled a strand of those spring black locks. "So how was he? I've been meaning to ask."

Jounouchi frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Come on, I saw the way you two were going at it last Friday."

"I really don't know what you're talking about?"

"Did you top or him?"

Jounouchi turned abruptly and walked away.

Miho stepped out from behind the door she had been listening. She slapped her boyfriend's arm. "What the hell was that? How is that supposed to help the two of them get better?"

Otogi slung an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Miho, give me a bit more credit. I was just revving him up for Bakura. He should be ready to spill everything out to Bakura. That'll help him think things through. Kaiba's getting tired of waiting for him to come around on his own."

Miho gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek. "Wow, who knew you were that thoughtful?"

"Shut up. What if other people hear?"

_...  
Hooking up with a Scorpio is a karmic thing. However, instead of assuming you're being punished, look at it this way: The Universe is doing you a huge favor by making you suffer these emotional extremists, because any relationship with a Scorpio is worth one hundred thousand points on the karmic redemption scale. If you manage to spend a lifetime with one, you could jump ahead several reincarnations.  
..._

"I don't know what the hell I did in my last life to deserve this! That's not the worse part. Everyone keeps on bugging me about it. I swear if Otogi wags his eyebrow at me one more time, I'm going to rip that pretty little head of his off."

Bakura nodded in a sympathetic manner. Jounouchi was eternally grateful for the other boy. Though he knew his friends cared, but none of them were exactly gay so they didn't understand in the same way. Plus none of them were in a relationship with an egotistical and power-hungry head case. Okay, so Malik wasn't exactly that but he came pretty close a year or two ago.

Bakura patted Jounouchi back. "Just let it all out, Jounouchi-kun."

"I don't know what to do now." Jounouchi buried his face in his hands.

"Jounouchi-kun, it's very simple. Do you care about Kaiba-kun?"

Jounouchi looked up at the white-haired boy. "How is any of this simple?"

Bakura sighed in exasperation. "Just answer the question."

"I guess…"

"Was it just a one-night stand?"

"I'm not sure."

"Had you ever considered dating him? Not just screwing him?"

"Yes."

"Do you think there's even the slight possibility of that?"

Jounouchi was silent for a few seconds. "I don't know honestly but I had hoped there was…"

Bakura stood and Jounouchi looked up at him in confusion. "That's it then. You don't need to worry about anything else. If you want a relationship with him, you're going to have to work for it. Kaiba-kun was never someone easy to get along with. If you're really sincere about this, you should be with him and not me. Just think, you slept with the man a week ago and after he kicks you out, you don't even attempt to approach or talk with him. What do you think he's going to think?"

Jounouchi smiled bitterly. "That would be so like him, to think he would test me. Him and his twisted sense of things…"

"Then it's settled. Go find Kaiba-kun and set his twisted sense straight."

"Thanks Bakura."

_...  
Scorpio messages are tests to see whether or not you care enough to inquire further. They are maddeningly hard to understand and nearly impossible to predict.  
..._

Kaiba didn't look up from his work when an intruder barged into his office. Two seconds later, his security tackled the aforementioned offender and brought him to the ground.

"Damn it, let me up. I have to talk with Kaiba!"

The two guards hauled Jounouchi to his feet before hastily addressing their boss. "We're so sorry, Seto-sama. We hadn't expected him to fight back. We'll take him away now."

"We need to talk about last Friday!"

Kaiba regarded his computer screen carefully. "Really? I wasn't aware there was anything to be discussed."

"Just because you think we can just scr-"

Kaiba cut the blond boy off. "That's enough. You can leave him, I'll take care of them."

The guards were hesitant to obey his orders but finally nodded, bowed, and closed the office doors behind them. Kaiba refused to face Jounouchi just yet. He continued to stare at his screen.

Jounouchi crossed his arms. "What? Can't bear for people to find out about our sordid little affair? It's not like half the school doesn't know already. Anzu's, Miho's, and Midori's not-so-subtle gushing."

Kaiba stood and made his way around his desk. He leaned against the table and scowled. "Whatever you have to say, just say it and leave me in peace."

He watched as Jounouchi tried to straighten his posture. The boy ran a nervous hand through his messy hair.

"I think we should give this a try."

Kaiba blinked. Whatever he thought Jounouchi would say, this wasn't it. He had almost expected some type of sentimental outburst from Jounouchi, not this one surprisingly simple but sincere line. Or perhaps not. Aquariuses were supposedly romance-phobic. "Excuse me?"

Jounouchi held his head high. Kaiba could almost admire him for the courage to come up to his office. "You heard me. I think we should give us," Jounouchi pointed at Kaiba and then himself. "A chance."

Kaiba blinked again. "You're on something. You must have hit your head somewhere. That's the only reasonable explanation." Kaiba turned away and reached for the phone. He pressed the button for his secretary. "Rena, please-"

His words died on his lips. He felt Jounouchi reach around him and lay a hand over Kaiba's resting by the phone. Jounouchi pressed his body against Kaiba's back. "Just hear me out." Kaiba shuddered at the breath against his neck.

"Cancel that, Rena."

Beep.

Kaiba turned around, to find himself trapped against his own desk by Jounouchi. He wasn't sure if he liked being in such a compromising position or not. "Do you mind, Jounouchi?"

Jounouchi smiled at being addressed with his name. "Nope, I think this is rather comfortable." He rested his head against Kaiba's shoulder.

Kaiba rested a hand on the small of Jounouchi's back. Since he was leaning against his desk, they were about the same height now. "I have work to finish."

"So? You're not complaining." Jounouchi lifted his head. "Why are you not complaining? I thought you would put up more of a fight."

Kaiba smirked. "You passed the test."

Jounouchi was flabbergasted. He slapped Kaiba's shoulder. "You bastard, you really do have a warped sense of security!"

"I needed to know if you were sincere or not."

"You are such a head case!"

"I believe that should be sarcastic head case whose favorite pick-up line is hi."

Jounouchi was shocked yet again.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "What? You think you're the only one who read that book?"

"**Love on a Rotten Day**?"

Kaiba nodded.

"You read that?" Jounouchi squeaked.

"Mokuba has a copy. I think he was reading it for Rebecca."

Jounouchi shook his head and chuckled. "So I passed the test, now what?"

"I can think of a few things the book suggested. Activities that an Aquarius like yourself may find interesting."

Before Jounouchi could give some half coherent reply, Kaiba bent down and captured those tempting lips. After all, nothing more needed to be said.

_...  
So even when you feel you have connected on that soul level, and your Scorpion stays over on the weekends, leaving a toothbrush in your bathroom and a pair of handcuffs in your nightstand, you can't let down your guard. The sex will be intense, passionate, and addicting. The war will go on forever.  
..._

**Owari**

* * *

(1) The Diet is the Japanese legislature.

(2) Although the age limit of alcohol purchase and consumption in Japan is 20, it is not enforced. Alcohol can be easily bought from vending machines that don't require any type of ID. Public drunknness is also not regarded as a crime there as it is here, as long as you don't hurt anyone anyway.

The books mentioned, **Born on a Rotten Day** and **Love on a Rotten Day**, are written by Hazel Dixon-Cooper. All quotes from inbetween the scenes were taken from either book.

* * *

This fic is dedicated to Bunny! Not only did she buy the books that inspired this fic, she also beta'ed for me!

Oh my god, took me all day at home to get this done... Last time, I pull a stunt like this...

All reviews are appreciated. chocolate given as prop Thank you ahead of time.


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